The Sky’s the Limit

After capturing Canada’s only gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games, you’d think Rosannagh (Rosie) MacLennan would be flying high. But the 24-year-old trampolinist remains as grounded as ever — and the weight of gold has nothing to do with it, either.

“It’s obviously something I’m really proud of,” says the King City native, “but at the same time there’s a lot more to celebrate than gold medals.”

Of course, such as how your victory could spark grassroots enthusiasm, encouraging a new wave of fledgling trampolinists to enrol in this relatively unsung sport, boosting local economies and laying the foundation for future Olympians?

“Yeah, but I think as a kid, even watching the athletes that don’t get a medal you can learn a lot.”

Well, sure, inspirational efforts were abound at the 30th Games. Our women’s soccer team, for one, bouncing back and capturing bronze after a controversial heartbreaker to the cutthroat Americans no doubt roused patriotism and newfound admiration for the beautiful game, but you’re the gold medalist. No other Canuck stood atop the podium; that must be a great feeling?

Yes, it’s exciting, she says, but the stories behind other athletes are as, if not more, stirring. One memory in particular leaps to mind. MacLennan reminisces about youthful days on the water learning to row in a small boat Mom and Dad gave her. They told the story of Canadian rower Silken Laumann who overcame a gruesome leg injury to win bronze at the Barcelona Games. The lesson stuck. It isn’t the obstacles you face that define you, she says, but how you approach and overcome them.

Training alongside fellow Skyriders member and three-time Olympic medallist Karen Cockburn also fuels this champion’s flame. “You see the amount of work, dedication and effort that goes behind it,” MacLennan says of working with her friend and mentor. “It puts it in perspective, but also shows you that it’s still possible.”

While her dizzying display proved too unbalancing for a normally picture-perfect Chinese team, the modest and somewhat shy champion stays focused on her next move. She returns to the University of Toronto this fall to commence her master’s degree in exercise sciences and is preparing for the 2015 Pan American Games. “In terms of actual trampoline goals, I really want to break the difficulty record for women,” she says. And with her ego firmly in check, it looks like the sky’s the limit for this golden girl.